Mumbai: CBI arrests Customs Commissioner for graft

New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday arrested a Customs Commissioner and a Customs House Agent from Mumbai on the charge of receiving a bribe of Rs 19 lakh from a businessman for releasing his container. Manoj Krishna, an IRS officer of 1987-batch, was arrested by the agency in the allged graft case on the complaint given by a Rajkot-based businessman, CBI sources said.

Krishna, posted at Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House at Nhava Sheva Port, Mumbai, had allegedly demanded Rs eight lakh initially for releasing his container, CBI sources said. They said he later allegedly increased the demand to 12.5 lakh and asked the businessman to pay the amount to his middleman Jigar Shah who worked as customs house agent.

After negotiations, the businessman was allegedly asked to pay Rs 19 lakh to Shah, which included Rs 12.5 lakh for Krishna and the rest of the amount as commission for Shah, they said. CBI laid a trap and arrested Shah when he was receiving the money from the businessman. Based on the information provided by Shah, the Customs Commissioner was also arrested in the case.

The IRS officer had reportedly received a bribe of Rs 19 lakh from a businessman for releasing his container.

Both the accused are likely to be produced before a competent court for remand.

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